Soundproof building construction



.May 10, 1932. T. .1A FOSTER v y 1,857,369'

SOUNDPROO BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb.42. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 10, 1932. T. J. FOSTER 1,857,369

SOUNDPROOF BUILDING CONSTRUCTKION Filed Feb. 2, 1929 2 Sheets-'Sheet 2 Patented May 10, 1932 THOMAS J. FOSTER, OF RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY SOUNDIROOF BUILDING CONSTRUCTION v Application filed February 2, 1929. Serial No.`337 ,091.

and beams to minimize transmission of sound or vibrations from the floor toy the beam.`

A further object is the provision of ele. ments including pre-formed parts which may be quickly and easily asselnbled in place and embedded or secured in hardening plastic material to form a' rigid heatV and s0und-proof floor or roof construction. Y

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of my invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout, and wherein: f

Fig. 1 is a perspective view partly in section of one form of my invention, showing the pre-formed parts assembled and ready for the application of the slab filling;

Fig. 2 is a transversesection through a beam of the form of construction in Fig. 1;`

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same taken at line 3 3 of Fig. 2, showing the beamV in side elevation;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional view taken at line 11e-f of Fig. 3, to show the manner of retaining the hanger members on the beam employed in this embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of another embodiment of pre-formed beam encasement;

Fig. 6 is a similar view in whichthe 'eneasement has been lined with lire-resisting and sound-deadening material;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another form of beam encasement, including spaced permanent forms, and arranged inverted and with the bottom removed to show lone manner of filling;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the embodiment of Fig. 7 filled, andy arranged to show the manner of assembly with the beam, sound- 55 deadening felt, and supporting hanger retaining means; and

Figs. 9,-10,"11, 12 and 13 aredetails of modified hangerand retainer means. Y

The illustrative embodimentsy of this in vention shown in thedrawings are particularly adapted for use yin light floor or roof con-v struction wherein the supporting beams or joists are spaced three or more feet apart, al: though the principles of the invention can obviously be appliedto other floor or roof constructions.

In the following description the term floor slab, is used to include roof-slabs, which are basically similar to Hoor-slabs, and may differ therefrom yonly in the top surface finishing coat which is not ordinarily a part of the slab-unit itself. o

As -shown in the drawings 1 the joists or rafters may conveniently'take the form of light weight'I-beams 11, properly proportioned to carry the licor-load, and spaced to receive and support the'pre-formed floorslab elements K and kbeam encasement and hanger` means, as shown.

Floor slab mit The floor slab unit is preferably formed as set forth in my copending applications Serial No. 221,780, filed September 24, 1927 patented September 29, 1931, Patent No. 1,825,3L16, and Serial No. 318,065,1ledNovember-S, 1928 and comprises a unitary sheet 12 of stiff material adhesively or otherwise attached to sleepers 13, ordinarily composed of wood, which extend transversely of the space between kthe beams or joists 11, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. The floor slab unit may conveniently havea width in the direction of sleepers 13 of about four feet, and a length' transverse thereto of aboutxeight to sixteen feet, corresponding' to the spacing and span of the beams 11, though these dimensions may of course 'be varied at will and to suit the conditions of use. 910

As set forth in my copending applications noted above, the sheets 12 are preferably coated on the upper side with a layer of waterproof material which kmay have sound-deadening qualities, or with layers of waterproofing and sound-deadening materials, generally indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 by the reference character 14, and the adhesive used to fasten the sleepers 13 to the sheet 12 may have an additional sound-proofing effect. In addition the slab unitsV may be provided with wire mesh reinforcing 15, and combined-stiffening, handling and nailing screeds 16, attached transversely of the-sleepers 13. The form of reinforcing 15 may vary with the material used as filler as hereinafter set forth,

and the screeds 16 are of further use as guides bywhich to level the slab filler, and as spacing means to separate the Vforms Vwhen stacked. The screeds thus prevent injury to the bottom face of one form bythe wires 15 of lan adjacent lower form when stacked and during transportation. The lower face of sheet 12 may constitute the ceiling of the room below and may be left in natural finish, or plastered, painted or treated-before or after assembly in the floor construction, as desired.

Beam encasement and floor slabl supporting wmlfy by dispensing with forms and temporary supports, so that this assembly, and the placement of the floor-slab units, may be easily and rapidly accomplished. These beam encaselnent vand floor-slab-supporting units may take several forms, as shown in the drawings. The basic construction of all these forms is similar, and comprises a frame, made of wood or other suitable material; an outer wall fastened to the frame, which may be made of the same sheet material used for the floor slab, or -other material for contrast; and hangers fastened to the nframe by which to attach the unit to the beam or joist.

The frame in all the forms shown includes two parallel supporting runners 17 spaced so that they may receive the beam or joist between them, and held securely in position by U-shaped framev members 18. Tothis frame is secured the outer wall 19, of gypsum board or the like, and brackets 20 (see Figs. 1-6).

Figs. 1,2, Sand 5 show different views of a basic form of the encasement-floor-slabsupporting'unit, as set forth above, for use without any additional heat or sound insulation, where such is not required. Fig. 6 shows the same basic ,form modified, however, in that the encasement unit is lined to the depth of frame members 18 with hardened plastic material 31.

Figs. 7 and 8 show modifications of the encasement unit in which the hanger 20a, instead of bending under the runner 17 lies along the frame member 18 and is fastened thereto. In these figures the unit is also provided with a permanent inner vwall 21, and

.the bottom portion 19a, as clearly shown in Assembly of pre-formed units Referring particularly to Figs. 5 vand 8. it will be seen that hangers 22, which are pivo'tally attached to'hanger brackets 20, swing downwithin the unit during transportation (see Fig. 5). When one of the units is to be assembled the first step taken is to bend down across the joist 11, a heavy sheet of sounddeadeningmaterial -such as bituminized felt y 23. Then the encasenient unit, with the hangers 22 swungoutwardly, is lifted up around the 'beam or joist 11 ,and the hangers 22 are swung inwardly above the felt 23 so that they are supported by the joist but insulated from direct contact therewith by the felt. A retainer, which may take theform of a spring clip'24 having lugs 25`engaging in recesses 26 of hangers 22, secures the hangers and prevents them from slipping from the beam or l joist. Y (See Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 8.)

The encasement and slab-supporting units having thus been fastened in place, the floor `slabs-are swung into `place and rested upon the runners 17. To prevent any shifting of the slabs, bridges or filler-pieces l277 are placed above the felt 23 and nailed or otherwise secured to the opposing ends of sleepers 13.

VThese bridges may contact the top of the felt 23 Ato hold it securely down against the top surface of joist 11, as shown in Figs. `1 and 2. The top surfaces of these bridges 27 may lie in the same plane as the top surfaces of the screeds or nailing strips 16, for the same purposes.

The slab-units may be placed assembled only to the extent shown in Fig. 1, or they may be filled with plastic material before being swunglinto place. If pre-filled the only filling remaining to be done is that lying around the toppof the joist 11 .between the bridges 27. If not pre-filled these spaces and the slabs will preferably be filled at the same time. This will be done where it is desired to embed conduits and piping, or the like, in

the floor slabs. The filling used may be any sound-deadening and/0r tire-prooiing material, such as plastic gypsum, granular material, or the like. rIhe depending edges of the stili, bituminized felt 23 lserve to prevent any appreciable quantity of the filler from dropping down into the encasement unit andk thus effect an economy of material. The use of short sections of felt immediately under the hangers 22 but not elsewhere is sufficient (and results in economy of felt) if the spaces above the felt are not to be filled, as in temporary structures, or if it is not desired to exclude the filler material from the interior of the beam encasement.

Obviously details of the constructionsv wire or other suitable fastening means 240x.V

tying together the reversely turned ends of the modified hanger 22a; in Fig. 10, retention is effected by interlocking portions 246 formed on the hangers 227), themselves; and in Fig. 11 the entire hanger and retainer assembly is replaced by wires or other suitable means 240, suitably attached to runners 17 c, extending across the felt 23, and twisted or otherwisevfastened together. as shown.

In Figs. 12 and 13 a modified hanger means is shown, based somewhat on the form shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In this form of the invention runners 17d are cut away to form recesses 28immediately above frame members 18. Hanger-brackets 20d are provided with upstanding ears 29. and lateral arms 30, and are fitted against frame member 1803 below runner 17a so that ears 29 extend upwardly within the recess 28 and lateral arms 30 bear against tbe under side ot runner 17d. The hanger 22d is pivotally connected to anstanding ears 29 by a pin, asy shown` and when` after assembly, the brackets 20d are secured to frame member 1803, by suit-able means, such as the illustrated bolts or screws, the hanger and hanger-brackets are inseparably held together;

This form of construction is extremely rigid and strong for the amount of material used, although it is not as cheaply and rapidly applied as the other forms shown. It is obvious, however, that any one or" the Jforms of my invention shown or described may be modified by substitution for elements thereof, corresponding elements from any other illustrative form, without departing from my invention.

I accordingly do not Wish to be limited to the uses and embodiments shown and described, but claim as my invention all constructions falling within the scope of the following claims construed as broadly as is Warranted by the prior art.

" "I-claini:

1. Inbuildingconstruction, a plurality of deadening material to be sound insulated fromjsaid joists thereby,an d floor. slabs supported by said units.

. 2. In'building constructioma plurality of sound-deadening material resting von said i' joist, hangers resting on saidgsound-deadenato ing'material., retainingv means securing said 'hangers iny position thereon, runners supported byvsaidhangerg Hoor-slabs supported by'said runners, and a joist encasement sup- I' ported from said Vrunners and surrounding said joist. f .x. i 4. A ypre-formed joistencasement and iioor-slab-supporting unit 'for floor constructions comprising a frame madeup of a pair of parallel runners and frame members mainv lios Y position and defining a space to receive said n `oist an'outer wall coverinffsaidirame mov- 7 h 3 able hangers attached to said runners andk adapted to engage with the joistto vsupport said unit, and retaining meansto hold said hangers in engagement with said joist.

6. A pre-formed joist encasement and tloor-slab-supporting unit for lfloor constructions comprising a frame made up of a pair of parallel runners and frame members maintaining said runners inposition and defining a space to receive the joist, an outer wall covering said frame, and movable hangers `attached'to said trame and adapted to vengage with the joist to support said unit. c

7. In floor construction, a pre-formed joist encasement and oor-slab-supporting unit for floor constructions comprising a frame made up of a pair of parallel runners and frame members maintaining said runners in position and defining a space to receive the j oist, an outer wall covering said frame, movable hangers attached to said frame and adapted to engagewith the joist to support said unit, and retaining means to hold said hangers in engagement With said oist.

. 8.111- floor construction, a joist, sound deadening material thereon, iloor slab supporting means positioned laterally adjacent andin spaced relation to said j oist, floor slabs supportedlaterally of said joist by said floorslab-supporting means, said floorslab sup-k porting means comprising portions for support from said joist engaged only with the vsound deadening materials thereon, whereby said floor slabs and supporting means are sustained by said joist but sound insulated therefrom.

. c 9. In building construction, a plurality of joists, joist encasement and floor slabesupporting units hung from said joists, floor Y slabs supported by said units, and bridge members extendingfacross said joists and tying together the slabs on the opposite sides thereof. I @1 0; In building construction,

i ers .resting thereon,- retaining means securing said hangers in position, a frame enclosing said jolst Aand supported bysald hangers,

` floor slabs supported by said frame, and a filling material supported by said frame and surroundingvsaid j oist'.

11.r Af pre-formed joist encasement and oorslabsupporting unit-for floor eonstructions comprising a frame made up ofyfralne members and a filling materialand defining a space to receive the joist, an outer -Wall covering said frame, and movable hangers attached to said frame and-adapted to engage With the joist to support said unit. y

'12. In building construction, a oist, a oist encasement and floor slab supporting unit extending under said joist, hangers attached to said vunit and engaged'with said joist to support the unit therefrom, means for retaining said hangers in engagement with said joist, and Hoor slabs supported by said unit.

1.3. A pre-formed joist encasement and floor slab supporting-unit for floor constructions comprising Va frame constituting a floor slab support and made up of frame'members deining a space open at the top to receive the -joist, an outer Wall eoveringthe sides and bottom of said frame, and hangers attached to said frame and adapted to engage With the joist to support said unit.

In testimony Whereof,`I have signed my name to this specification. f

THOMAS J. Fosfrnn.

a joist, hang- 

